‘I managed to buy back my memories’: Jacky Wu purchases entire building to save beef noodles eatery from his childhood

It’s not uncommon for eateries to shutter due to the death or retirement of their owners.

Some get bought up by investors or taken over by family members, but one lucky beef noodle shop in Tainan, Taiwan, has Jacky Wu to thank for its rebirth.

The veteran host recently told Taiwanese media that he discovered an eatery from his childhood closed with the signboard of a real estate agency replacing it.

“This beef noodle shop was part of my childhood memories, and I couldn’t accept that it had closed and become something of the past,” the 61-year-old said. “I personally called the real estate agent and bought the building on the spot.”

You read that right — Jacky not only bought the restaurant but the entire building it was situated in for a reported price of NT$27 million (S$1.2 million).

Taiwanese media discovered the eatery to be Lao Tang Beef Noodles, opened in 1967 with 13 branches across Taiwan in its heyday. Its founder died in 2017, but his family members reportedly kept the place running until December last year, when it unexpectedly closed.

According to reports, Jacky’s plans for the eatery include hiring a renowned architect to refurbish the building and having his own private chef learn the recipe from the Tang family in a bid to reopen the restaurant under its old “Lao Tang” name.

Renovations are expected to complete late this year or early next year.

“I will reopen the beef noodle shop and open another branch in Taipei,” he added. “I managed to achieve my goal of buying back my memories.”